The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia hosted the Foreign Ministers of Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan in Batumi.

As she noted, the first meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Georgia and the Central Asian countries represents a significant step toward strengthening political dialogue and deepening cooperation between the regions.

"Today in Batumi we are hosting the foreign ministers of five Central Asian countries: Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. I am delighted that the first meeting in this format is being held in Georgia, in Batumi.

This meeting is very important and sends a clear message about bringing the regions closer together, strengthening political dialogue and deepening cooperation based on shared interests.

At a time when the international environment is changing rapidly, the role of Georgia and Central Asia is growing ever greater. Our regions are an important part of the space connecting Europe and Asia, and close cooperation between our countries is especially important in this context. By working together, we can truly strengthen regional ties and create new opportunities for our countries and peoples.

We are bound by historic friendship, shared economic interests and the common goal of strengthening links between Europe and Asia, and today developing the Middle Corridor is especially important.

This route connects Central Asia, the South Caucasus and, across the Black Sea, Europe. Georgia has an important role in developing this link and expanding transport capacity, and realising the Middle Corridor`s full potential is in our shared strategic interest. That requires close coordination, developed infrastructure and strong political will, and today’s meeting demonstrates exactly that.

Our cooperation is not limited to the economy and transport. Equally important are building political trust, promoting peace and stability in the region, and deepening ties between our peoples. These are the goals behind the Georgian Government`s consistent efforts to strengthen relations with the countries of Central Asia.

In June this year we established a strategic partnership with Kazakhstan. This historic step expands our bilateral relations and provides a solid new framework for deeper cooperation. In July, we also established a strategic partnership with Uzbekistan during the Uzbek President`s state visit to Georgia. This is further proof that relations between our countries are entering a new stage.

The Turkmen President`s state visit in July proved pivotal in strengthening bilateral ties, fostering renewed political dialogue, and boosting trade and economic cooperation. Important steps were also taken in relations with Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

In June, the Georgian Prime Minister made his first official visit to Kyrgyzstan, and there were also important meetings in Tajikistan. Georgia matters greatly to both countries, and given the trade and economic relations, we clearly need to strengthen our links.

Of course, all this requires strong political dialogue to turn concrete economic results into reality. Today`s meeting is built on precisely these shared interests, and it will make a major contribution to bringing our regions closer together, while opening up new opportunities for our countries and peoples.

I want to thank once again each of my colleagues who are in Georgia today and who joined this initiative so that the first meeting in this format could be held here in Batumi, in Georgia. I think this will be an important step in developing relations between our countries and our regions, and ultimately it will further highlight Georgia`s role in developing the Middle Corridor, which is so relevant and important today", - said Maka Botchorishvili.